


Sing a Song of Silence

by ikuzonos



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Major Character Undeath
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 01:56:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5725438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikuzonos/pseuds/ikuzonos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The dead discover they are not.</p><p>(on indefinite hiatus)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was terribly cold. Not only that, the space was tiny. It was as if she was trapped in a freezing cold coffin. Perhaps that was it exactly. After all, she was dead. 

Sayaka Maizono opened her eyes, only to see pitch darkness. Briefly, she wondered if she was still lying on the bathroom floor. She dismissed that possibility, remembering that the tiles were not quite this cold.

She moved her hand slowly, trying to figure out where she was trapped. As Sayaka considered the possibilities, she heard footsteps in the distance. Carefully, Sayaka rolled over onto her stomach, and pressed her ear up against the freezing wall. Her stomach churned as she did, her stab wound pulsing against the metal.

Through the metal, Sayaka heard a high pitched voice. The sound was distorted, and she couldn’t place the voice in her memories.

_ Is this the mastermind? No, it can’t be. I’m dead. _

“Rest up, dear sister.” Said the voice. Then, there were more footsteps, and finally, the sound of a heavy door being slammed shut.

Sayaka frowned, trying to make sense of the mysterious person’s words. After a moment, she decided that she’d misheard whoever walked in, and focused her attention on escaping her cold cell.

She pushed on the wall, hoping she could get it to open up. When it didn’t budge, Sayaka crunched up at the back of the cell, and then pushed forwards with all her strength. She banged her shoulders painfully, but for a second, Sayaka saw a bit of light.

Again and again, Sayaka shoved her quickly bruising shoulders against the cell, until it finally burst open. Sayaka was so surprised, that she fell out and onto the floor. 

“Mmph.” Sayaka muttered to herself. After a few seconds of lying on the just as cold floor, Sayaka got to her feet. Her head spun slightly, but she managed to keep herself steady. 

The room itself was just as cold as the cell she'd been trapped inside. Sayaka glanced around, and noticed a bunch of tarps on the floor. She moved over to the tarps as fast as she could, and slung one of them around her shoulders. 

She was still cold, but she felt a bit better. 

"Where am I?" Sayaka whispered to herself. The room itself seemed to be set up like a laboratory, and the cell she was stuck in looked more like a freezer. 

_ What happened to me? Didn't... Didn't I die? _

Sayaka could remember it clearly, the hard bathroom tiles, the darkness overhead, the feeling of blood seeping out of a wound in her stomach. 

She could remember writing Leon’s name on the wall in her own blood.

_ Kuwata-kun… _

Sayaka swallowed. Her stomach began to feel uneasy, as she remembered her plan. Her plan to kill and escape the school. In a way, she had escaped the school with her death. It was almost the same. Almost.

She wondered briefly if Leon had been allowed to leave. Not that it really mattered to Sayaka.

What was truly bothering her, was where she was. If this was the afterlife, it seemed intent on freezing her.

“Perhaps… Perhaps this is my punishment.” Sayaka whispered, her breath forming a cloud in front of her.

One of her hands loosened on the tarp, and it fell limply to her side. She looked down at her arm, and then froze. Poking out from the bottom of her sleeve was a bandage. Her sleeved sagged as she lifted her arm again, revealing a tightly wrapped bandage around her wrist. 

Sayaka winced. After a moment of closer inspection, she noticed that her wrist was no longer broken. 

"I don't understand..." Sayaka murmured, "I'm dead..."

The only conclusion Sayaka could come to was that all wounds healed in the afterlife, but even that explanation felt flawed. 

The golden glitter remained on her wrist as well, and Sayaka couldn't make up anything to explain that. 

She hesitated for a moment, then shakily grabbed the hem of her shirt. After a moment, Sayaka gingerly lifted her shirt, and looked down. 

There was a tightly wrapped bandage around her midsection. Right where the stab wound should have been.

_ What the hell? _

Sayaka's head began to hurt. She could feel her brain pulsing violently, and she wanted to faint. 

She gripped the tarp tightly around her shoulders, as she tried to make sense of her ridiculous situation. When the beating in her head stopped, she took another glance around the room. 

There was a door at the far end of the room, and Sayaka walked towards it, the idea of escape planted in her mind. But when she tried to twist the door handle, it wouldn't move. 

_ Figures that it’d be locked.  _

Sayaka sighed, and leant against the door, slumping. She took a futile glance at the far wall, for some glimmer of hope to strike her. 

There were nearly twenty freezers at the back of the room. Most of them were closed off, and a few looked frozen shut. The one she had been in was wide open, while the one next to it had a green light next to it. 

Sayaka hesitated, and then walked up to the lit up door. She reached out a shaking hand, and gingerly opened the freezer. 

Lying inside was a very dead Junko Enoshima. 

Sayaka gasped, and nearly fell backwards. After a moment, she looked back at Junko’s body. 

Even in death, the supermodel was beautiful. Despite the stab wounds covering her body, (what on earth had happened to her?), she still retained an air of elegance. 

Sayaka had never been close to Junko, but she felt horrible that she had died. 

She reached out gently, and stroked her hair, “I'm so sorry, Enoshima-san. You didn't deserve this.”

Sayaka wondered who had killed Junko, but decided it didn't matter. Anyone could have easily snapped over the video motive. She sure had. 

She gently pushed on Junko’s head, trying to put her back in the freezer. Sayaka’s hand slipped, and it landed on Junko’s neck. 

Sayaka pulled her hand off of Junko's icy skin, only to pause. Her fingers twitched, and Sayaka put her hand back on Junko’s neck. 

It was slow and weak, but she had a pulse. 

Sayaka inhaled sharply, then pulled Junko out of the freezer, and laid her on the floor. She was far heavier than she looked, and Sayaka’s arms hurt after she put the blonde woman down.

Upon closer investigation, It became clear that Junko wasn’t covered in stab wounds, but her clothes were torn and bloody, as if they’d been skewered. There were several bandages covering her body however, the binding matching the bandage on her own body.

Sayaka brushed her hands lightly over Junko’s body, unsure of what to do. She knew that Junko would need some kind of medical attention, after having been in that freezer. 

Sayaka probably needed medical attention herself, but she brushed that aside. If she was conscious, then she was functioning well enough for the time being. 

As she examined Junko as best she could, Sayaka noticed something metal poking out the hem of her skirt. She hesitated, then pulled the metal object out. 

It was a key. And to Sayaka’s shock, a key with a Monokuma head attached to it.

_ Why on Earth would Enoshima-san have something like this with her? _

Sayaka glanced towards the door. She stood, and walked over towards it, her hands shaking. She stuck the mysterious key in the lock, and tried turning it.

The door opened. 

Sayaka grinned, then tucked the key into the waistband of her own skirt. 

_ This could come in very useful.  _

With the door problem out of the way, Sayaka went back to examine Junko's body again. She had to figure out how to move the model out of this freezing cold room.

After a moment, Sayaka slipped the tarp off her shoulders and draped it over Junko to try and keep her warm. 

Sayaka took a deep breath, then shoved her hands under Junko's body. She leaned in close, then lifted her with all her might. 

She struggled, but the idol managed to get Junko in her arms. Her legs shook beneath her, and Sayaka fell to the ground. She crashed into a table, and Junko went flying. She landed in a heap on the floor, and Sayaka groaned.

She rubbed her head, and then slowly got to her feet. She'd knocked over a glass vial, and a syringe. 

Sayaka sighed. She briefly considered picking up the vial and syringe, but then kicked them under the table. 

She walked over to where Junko had fallen, and with a bit more determination, picked her up off the ground. 

Sayaka shifted her arms slightly, to balance the weight of Junko's body. Then slowly but surely, she made her way out of the freezing cold room. 

Once Sayaka was outside, she kicked the door shut, and looked around. She had no idea where she was, but it felt so horribly familiar somehow. 

On the wall next to the door, there was a sign. 

“Bio Lab.” Sayaka murmured, “What kind of place is this?”

With Junko in her arms, Sayaka made her way through the halls. She peeked into a few doors that she saw, finding both a garden and a dojo. 

But no exit. 

She sighed. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. She wasn't even fully sure what was going on anymore. 

Sayaka wandered through the hallways, searching with all her might for a way out. As she passed by a classroom, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. 

_ A… staircase? _

Sayaka headed towards the staircase as fast as she could with Junko in her arms. Carrying the model with her slowed her down heavily, but Sayaka refused to leave her behind.

She’d already tried to kill someone so that she could escape, and there was no way she was going to do it again.

The staircase was familiar to her. Sayaka looked at it carefully, before beginning to descend it. She had to move very slowly, or Junko could fall. If she fell down the stairs here, she would die.

Sayaka got to the landing, and took a moment to breathe. Her heart was already beating unnecessarily fast, and all she had done was walk down half a staircase. She took a deep breath, and then went down the rest of the stairs.

She could feel her vision clouding, but Sayaka gritted her teeth, and pushed her body as much as she could.

At the bottom of the staircase, there was a barred gate. Sayaka’s face fell. After everything she had done to get her and Junko out of the Bio Lab, here she was, trapped.

She laid Junko down carefully, desperate for a chance to relax her arms. The only thing that helped Sayaka in the slightest, was that the gate looked almost exactly like the one keeping everyone from getting to the second floor of the school.

_ That still doesn’t explain anything, though. And moreover, how am I supposed to get out of here? _

Sayaka looked around, and then frowned. There was a small panel on the wall with a keyhole. Her hands reached for the key in her waistband subconsciously. She didn’t know why. Sure, the key worked on the Bio Lab door, but there was no reason for it to work again.

Half heartedly, she stepped over Junko, and stuck the key in the lock, and turned it. Nothing happened, and she pulled the key out. She stuck the key back in the waistband dejectedly, and then slumped down on the bottom stair.

“I’m sorry, Enoshima-san.” Sayaka said quietly, “I wanted to get us out of here.”

Sayaka had never been very close to Junko before she died. She knew how the model presented herself around everyone, but she never got a chance to really know her. All Sayaka really did know, was that they were both stuck on this staircase.

A loud sound startled her, and she looked up. Her jaw dropped in shock. The gate that had been blocking their path was rising upwards, allowing the two of them to continue their escape.

_ What else does this key unlock? _

Sayaka scooped Junko up in her arms, and made her way through the next hallway. More determined than ever to find an exit, Sayaka pushed herself. 

She passed a room marked Data Centre, but didn't bother trying to get inside. What was important was that she found another staircase.

At the end of the hallway was another set of stairs. Sayaka’s face lit up, and she trudged towards it. At the bottom of the staircase was another gate, and another key hole.

Sayaka continued the pattern, until she came to a hallway she knew all too well. She looked over at the closed gym doors, and shuddered. She would never forget what she had seen and heard in there.

_ The room where I decided to become a murderer. _

Sayaka took a deep breath. This did confirm two things for her. The first was that she was still inside Hope’s Peak Academy. The second was that the school had five floors. But other than that, she had no idea what was going on. Was she dead?

At this point, she could argue for either side.

Sayaka looked down at Junko, who was still passed out in her arms. The model looked so peaceful, but Sayaka knew she was weak.

“Wait…” Sayaka said quietly, “Isn’t there a nurse’s office nearby?” She looked up at the hall, sorting through her memories.

There was a nurse’s office near the end of the hallway, and to Sayaka’s knowledge, it was fully stocked.

She moved as quickly as she could without dropped Junko, praying with all her might that she was right.

She was.

Sayaka kicked the door open, and stumbled inside, gripping Junko’s body with almost an iron force.

She gently laid Junko down on one of the beds. Sayaka watched her for a moment, then frowned.

How was she supposed to help Junko? Sayaka didn't know anything about first aid, and she certainly didn't know how to rouse Junko from her unconsciousness. 

_ Would a blood transfusion work? No, I don't know Enoshima-san’s blood type. ...Or how to do a blood transfusion. _

Sayaka concentrated harder. She used to watch old medical dramas when she was younger, so maybe there was something in there that would help Junko. 

“Isn't there a type of blood that anyone can take?” Sayaka wondered. 

She walked over to the small cabinet on the ground, knelt down, and pulled it open. There were hundreds of blood packs, and Sayaka shivered. 

She knew that if she messed up here, she could kill Junko. That was something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

Below the blood packs were packs of IV fluid. Sayaka picked one of them up, turning it over in her hands.

“I could hook her up to an IV.” Sayaka muttered. Then she shook her head, “I don’t know how to do that. Why is everything medical related so difficult?”

Sayaka closed the cabinet, and got to her feet. She stepped over back to where Junko was resting, and watched the slow rise and fall of her chest.

She sat down in a chair next to the bed, and sighed. Sayaka wished she could do something, anything to help Junko, but she had nothing she could offer her.

Sayaka glanced up at Junko again, then frowned. Something about the model was bothering her, but she couldn’t quite tell what.

She stood up, and stared down at her face, before gasping quietly. Junko’s hair looked strange.

Sayaka felt a little guilty, but moved her hand downwards and touched her bangs. They felt funny in her fingers, and Sayaka rubbed her hair slightly, before it hit her.

Junko was wearing a wig.

It made sense. In the modelling industry, you had to bend to the will of the cameras. Sayaka herself had worn a wig on more than one occasion.

But this discovery had made her curious, and Sayaka lifted the wig up slightly, revealing a short head of black hair.

Sayaka quickly pulled her hand away, feeling awkward. Junko probably wore the wig for a reason. She quickly fixed it, so that it wouldn’t be obvious anymore.

Sayaka collapsed back in the chair, and prayed that Junko would wake up. She didn’t really know what was going on, but maybe they could figure it all out together.

  
Maybe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the incredible response so far! First off, please check out the incredible art The Yuri Reviewer made for this story
> 
> http://theyurireviewer.deviantart.com/art/Undead-Sayaka-C-AliceMoonlight-585023492?q=favby%3ABrighty124%2F59396036&qo=1
> 
> http://theyurireviewer.deviantart.com/art/Undead-Sayaka-C-AliceMoonlight-585023492?q=favby%3ABrighty124%2F59396036&qo=1
> 
> http://theyurireviewer.deviantart.com/art/Undead-Mukuzono-C-AliceMoonlight-585123349?q=favby%3ABrighty124%2F59396036&qo=0
> 
> Thank you so much <3 Enjoy this chapter!

The strangled sound of someone gasping for breath startled Sayaka.

She had been sitting in wait for the past several minutes, wondering if Junko was going to awaken. It seemed that she was.

Sayaka leapt to her feet, just as Junko sat up on the bed, coughing heavily.

“Enoshima-san!” Sayaka cried, “You're okay!”

Junko glanced around the room, her eyes cold and deadly. After a moment, she said, “Maizono-san, what is- Maizono-san?”

_Maizono-’san’?_

Junko inhaled sharply, and Sayaka took a step back. The model buried her head in her hands, while her breathing shook.

“You would do this…” she whispered raggedly, “Junko-chan, this isn’t fair.”

_...Is she talking to herself?_

Sayaka said, “Uh, are you-”

Junko cut her off, “Not now. We have to get out of here before we’re caught.”

“Caught?” Sayaka echoed.

Junko nodded, and swung herself out of the bed, “You are so lucky that everyone’s still in trial, or we would be dead.”

Sayaka blinked, “Trial? Enoshima-san, I don’t-”

Junko hissed, “Let's just get to my room for now. Then we can have story time.”

Sayaka couldn't remember Junko ever being so forceful before, and it scared her. She seemed far more bitter than she used to be as well.

Junko wobbled when she got to her feet. Sayaka put and hand on her shoulder to stabilize her, but Junko slapped it away.

“Don't touch me.” Junko said.

Sayaka drew backwards, suddenly afraid. Junko was always vibrant and bubbly, so this cold and emotionless turn was startling.

She stayed by Junko’s side as they made it out of the nurse’s office, but remained afraid to touch or talk to her.

They walked slowly through the silent halls, both of them dizzy and sick. Sayaka wanted to lie down and sleep, but she forced herself to keep moving.

Junko seemed as if she would continue even if one of her legs fell off, while Sayaka struggled to keep up the pace.

By the time the two had reached the dormitory, Sayaka was panting, and her sides felt as if they were going to split open.

Junko looked at her, and said, “You wouldn’t last ten minutes out in the field.”

Sayaka furrowed her brow, “Field? You mean like… Fashion field?”

Junko stiffened, then said, “Yeah. Exactly. You might be an idol but we come from totally different worlds.”

_Sounds like a freudian slip if I ever heard one._

Junko’s hands went to the waistband of her skirt. She moved her fingers around for a moment, before intaking sharply, “It’s gone.”

“Ah, Eno-”

Junko continued on, not hearing Sayaka’s voice, “She would do this. It’s just the kind of thing that gives her despair.”

Sayaka put her hand up meekly, but was ignored, “Okay, stay calm. We’re going to have to find another way in. I think we can get in through the-”

“Enoshima-san!” Sayaka interrupted, “Are you looking for this?”

She dangled the key she had previously taken from Junko. Junko’s eyes went wide, and snatched the key.

“Where did you get this?” Junko said, “No, don’t answer that.”

Sayaka stood by in silence, while Junko unlocked the door. Her hands were shaking, though she seemed to be doing everything possible to stop them from doing so.

Once the door was open, Junko jumped inside, and Sayaka followed quickly. As soon as they were both inside, Junko shut the door, and immediately turned around.

“How did we get into the nurse’s office?”

It was posed as a simple question, but Sayaka was afraid to answer.

“Well?” Junko said, her voice flickering between dead cold and elevated anger.

Sayaka gulped, “I carried you. I woke up in the Bio Lab, found you, and then carried you down the stairs to the nurse’s office.”

Junko narrowed her eyes, mulling over something, before saying, “Wait, the stairs? ...Of course you would.”

_Of course I would?_

Junko let out a long breath, “Okay, maybe you got lucky and she didn’t see you. Let’s hope for that right now.”

The blonde pushed past Sayaka, her breathing getting louder.

Sayaka turned, “Enoshima-san, are you going to be okay?”

“No,” Junko said, “We’re not at all prepared for combat, and yet we’re in a warzone.”

She kept rambling on about the battlefield, while Sayaka stared in silence. Junko seemed terrified, but over exactly what, Sayaka didn’t know.

After a moment, Junko turned to Sayaka, her eyes cold, body stiff, “My apologies, Maizono-san. Things are very difficult right now, and I’m sure you have many questions.”

“You did it again,” Sayaka said.

Junko blinked, “Did what again?”

“Called me Maizono-san. You’ve never used an honorific on me, or anyone before,” Sayaka responded.

Junko curled her fingers into a fist, “O-Oh?”

Sayaka folded her arms, “I want an explanation for what’s going on here.”

Junko sighed, “Okay. First off, we’re not dead. We never died, we just thought we did. I’ll explain anything else later.”

“Later?” Sayaka echoed, “No, I need to know this now.”

Junko shook her head, “We don’t have time for all the details. I need to check on something important.”

“I saved your life!” Sayaka responded indignantly.

Junko met Sayaka’s gaze, “I know. Okay, I’ll answer your questions, but be quick about it. I have to look into something.”

Sayaka said, “You said we’re not dead. By that, you mean…?”

Junko said, “You remember passing out in front of Hope’s Peak, correct?”

She nodded.

“While we were unconscious, we received a drug designed to repair tissue and bone,” Junko continued, “Simply, if we sustain a life-threatening injury, the drug will repair our bodies enough so that we don’t die.”

_Where do you get a drug that essentially brings people back from the dead?_

Sayaka asked, “Okay. What’s this about a trial?”

“You can’t just kill someone, you have to get away with it,” Junko replied, “When a body is found, everyone gets the chance to investigate. Then, a trial is held to determine who the killer is.”

Sayaka froze, “What?”

Junko shrugged, “What kind of game would this be if the killer got away in the first chapter?”

“W-What happens in the trial?” Sayaka asked, failing to keep her voice steady.

Junko said, “Everyone presents their evidence, and argues for at least an hour. Then everyone votes for who the killer is, majority rules. If they get it right, then the killer is executed.”

_Executed._

The word rang through Sayaka’s head. Her hands shook, and she fell to her knees, unable to stand any longer.

“Wha- Hey, Maizono-san!” Junko called, and rushed over to her, “Are you okay?”

Sayaka’s voice had dropped to cold, shaking whisper, “I killed Kuwata-kun anyway. I thought he would make it out, but I still killed him.”

Junko’s eyes widened, “ _Kuwata-kun_ killed you? Of everyone here?”

“Why does that surprise you?” Sayaka asked.

Junko knelt down, “He’s a dumbass with an idol fetish. That’s never going to change.”

After a few minutes of silence, Sayaka said, “What happens if everyone gets it wrong?”

Junko looked away, before saying, “If nobody figures out that Kuwata-kun iced you… Everyone gets executed in his place.”

Sayaka looked up, horror filling her eyes, “Y-You’re joking.”

“I have no reason to lie,” Junko replied.

Sayaka slumped on the floor, unable to think of a response. Junko got to her feet and said, “I hate to leave you here, but I really do need to check something important. I’ll… I’ll answer any more questions when I get back.”

Sayaka called out weakly, “Wait. One last question?”

Junko turned to her, “Yes?”

“Why do you call me ‘Maizono-san’ now?”

Junko bit her lip, “That’s a really long story. I’ll tell you when I get back, though.”

Sayaka nodded, “Okay.”

“But,” the blond woman said, “it’s Mukuro Ikusaba. Junko Enoshima is someone else entirely.”

Then before Sayaka could respond, she rolled under the bed, and disappeared.

Sayaka frowned, staring at the bed.

First she had died, then she came back to life, and now ‘Junko’ had told her several things that she somehow knew, but shouldn’t have.

“Mukuro Ikusaba…” Sayaka whispered to herself.

  
_Who are you?_


	3. Chapter 3

“How do you feel about the recent murder at Hope’s Peak Academy?”

Sayaka froze in the place, the word  _ murder _ reaching her ears. She glanced around, hair flying everywhere as she did so. Off to her side, she spotted a reporter, and a camera being pressed into her classmate’s face.

Reporters had been hanging around the school ever since the death of Natsumi Kuzuryuu, but they rarely approached the students. For one of them to interrogate a student, meant that they were in trouble.

While Mukuro Ikusaba appeared perfectly calm and in control, of the situation, her clenched fists were an obvious sign of her discomfort.

Sayaka rushed over, tote bag banging against her side, sprinting across the grass towards Mukuro. She reached the reporter breathless, but threw her arms around Mukuro.

“Leave her alone!” Sayaka insisted, narrowing her eyes.

Mukuro turned her head to stare at Sayaka, eyes filled with confusion.

Sayaka looked the reporter dead in the eye, “You’re scaring my friend. Don’t reporters have better things to do than alarm students?”

The reporter shot a glance at the cameraman, who quickly pointed the camera towards the ground.

“My apologies,” said the reporter, “I only wished to get a statement-”

Sayaka cut him off, “You only wished to terrify my friend.”

Mukuro looked at the ground, and hunched in her shoulders, trying to look smaller.

The reporter said, “I don’t want to be the bad guy here-”

“Good. Get lost,” Sayaka spat, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

She grabbed Mukuro’s hand, and the two ran up the steps towards the school. Once they were inside, Sayaka dropped Mukuro’s hand, and turned towards her, “Are you okay?”

Mukuro nodded, “Thank you very much, Maizono-san.” 

“I would have done it for anyone,” Sayaka replied.

Despite having escaped the reporter, Mukuro still seemed nervous. She was standing straight up, her hands pressing into the folds of her skirt. Even her small freckles were visible against her pale skin.

Sayaka said, “You don’t look well. I can take you to the nurse if-”

Mukuro shook her head, “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. I have to meet Junko-chan anyway.”

Sayaka bit her lip, every instinct she had telling her to stop Mukuro from leaving. Her voice got caught in her throat, as Mukuro turned away from her, and began walking away. 

“Wait!” Sayaka called out, sounding choked.

Mukuro looked back over her shoulder, eyes wide, “Yes?”

Sayaka broke off for a moment, before saying, “Do you want to hang out, if you’re feeling okay? There’s a nice coffee shop just off campus.”

Mukuro looked down, clearly considering the offer, but afraid of vocalizing her answer. After a moment, she said, “Thank you very much for the offer, but I really do need to find my sister. Besides, I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience.” 

“I was heading there anyway,” Sayaka lied, “You’d be of no inconvenience.”

Mukuro sighed, then met her gaze, “Maybe another time. Goodbye, Maizono-san.”

She began walking again, and Sayaka sighed.

“Goodbye, Ikusaba-san,” she whispered to herself.

There was no point in not going to the coffee shop now, after having lied about it. Sayaka sighed, and stepped out the front doors of the school again.

The reporter and the cameraman were gone now, but Sayaka still felt uneasy. What if they came back, and started targeting other innocent students?

_ Hopefully they’ll have been scared off. _

Her feet hit the stony steps with dull thuds, the noise echoing loudly in her mind. 

Sayaka sighed. Her day was dragging on for much longer than usual, and it was nowhere near being over. She had work to finish before class, and tonight she had rehearsal with her friends.

She pushed open the door to the coffee shop, pleased that muscle memory had managed to get her there. It was one of the few places she could go, and not be harassed by paparazzi. 

The shop was a hole in the wall type place, one that always smelt of fresh coffee. Sayaka inhaled quietly, a small smile forming on her face.

She approached the counter with her wallet in hand, and was greeted by one of the students from the year above her, Mahiru Koizumi.

“Afternoon, Koizumi-san,” Sayaka said, “I just want my usual.”

Mahiru nodded, her eyes weary, “You got it. Mikan-chan!”

The resulting startled scream made them both cringe. Mahiru called back, “Nevermind! Ibuki-chan, can you get on making Sayaka-chan’s usual?”

The other barista, who Sayaka assumed was Ibuki, replied, “You betcha!”

Sayaka slipped the yen onto the counter, and Mahiru put it into the cash register. She moved to the other part of the counter, and waited for her order.

Outside, the sun was setting. Sayaka watched the sky turn orange through the window, and sighed. Other students were still milling around the campus, but they looked happy. After the murder of Natsumi Kuzuryuu, all Sayaka felt was nervousness.

Her killer hadn’t been caught, and moreover, Hope’s Peak wasn’t doing anything about it. It made her sick.

“Here you go, Sayaka-chan!”

The loud voice broke Sayaka’s concentration, and she turned to see Ibuki pushing her drink out onto the counter. She grabbed it, and her hand relaxed around the warm cup.

Sayaka slumped down in her usual spot near the back of the cafe, and slowly drank her coffee. 

After a bit, she fished into her bag, and pulled out her chemistry homework. There was no point in not doing it now.

~

Leon was absent.

It was strange. Leon hadn't missed chemistry all year, because it was the one class where he got to sit with Sayaka. 

The other conspicuous absence was Junko’s. While the model often missed class for photo shoots, her sister would always be missing with her. But Mukuro was sitting in her usual spot behind Sayaka.

It was hard to focus. Sayaka took down notes as best she could, but she was tired of listening to her teacher drone on and on. 

“Now pass last day’s work to the person behind you.”

Sayaka turned, paper in hand, only to meet Mukuro’s gaze exactly. For a single second, they stared, until Mukuro flitted her own eyes towards the metal table. Sayaka slipped the paper onto the table, then turned back around in her seat. Her heart was beating much too fast for such a simple encounter.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru met her return with a large smile, “Maizono-kun! I can assure you that my homework is completely correct, for an ideal Public Morals Committee Member must always have everything done perfectly!”

_...Right. _

Sayaka offered up a weak grin, and took his worksheet. She didn’t bother listening to the teacher, and instead just gave Kiyotaka full marks. The one good side of sitting behind the class hard-ass was that she hardly had to do marking, something Sayaka hated immensely. 

Once everyone else was done, Sayaka held Kiyotaka’s paper out towards him, and he took it enthusiastically. 

Mukuro cleared her throat, and Sayaka turned around. The soldier held up a marked paper, and Sayaka took it from her. 

Her score was much better than she had expected. Sayaka leafed through the sheet, going over it again. Some of her handwriting looked a bit different, and Sayaka frowned.

On the back of the sheet was a small sticky note. There was a message in small red writing, and Sayaka peeled it off the sheet to read it. 

_ We’re even now. - Ikusaba  _

Her hands tightened around the message. Sayaka wanted to turn around, to ask Mukuro if she knew what she had done, but she was too afraid to move.

The teacher had already begun to speak again, and Sayaka fumbled for her pencil, trying not to look like a cheat.

Why had Mukuro done what she did? It was one thing to thank her for saving her from the reporter, but it was quite another for Mukuro to correct Sayaka’s answers, risking them both being thrown from the talent program.

“Complete the lab with your partner.”

Sayaka looked down at her half written notes and cringed. She glanced to her side, expecting to see Leon beside her, only to see Celeste’s black drills on the other side of the classroom.

_ Right, he’s not here. _

This left her without a lab partner. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but as Sayaka remembered, Mukuro didn’t have a partner either.

_...I have to make the first move. _

She turned around in her seat, feeling heat in her face, “Ikusaba-san?”

Mukuro looked up, her grey eyes oddly dull, “Yes?”

“Do you want to work on the lab together?” she asked, “Since Enoshima-san and Kuwata-kun are gone?”

Mukuro blinked, caught off guard, “Are you sure?”

Sayaka nodded, and Mukuro got up from her table, and sat down beside Sayaka.

Something fluttered in her stomach, but she ignored it, and bent over to see Mukuro’s notes. The feeling persisted, however, and Sayaka squirmed. Something about Mukuro’s presence was bothering her, but she didn’t know what.

_ But everything’s fine, right? _

  
_ Right? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long! I had lots of research to do for this one haha. Hope it's worth the wait!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any mistakes, I'm posting on mobile

There was too much blood. It covered her skin, her hair, and her clothes. Sayaka scratched at it, caking her nails in it.

She hadn't really noticed it earlier, with her mind on escape, but she was indeed covered in blood. Not only that, there was a large slit in her shirt where she had been stabbed.

It made her itch. More than anything, Sayaka wanted to rip her skin off, but she knew it wouldn't solve anything. It wasn't really a pleasant image either.

Mukuro had been gone for a long time. It was strange to think about her as ‘Mukuro.’ Up until she had said so, Sayaka had never questioned her authenticity as Junko Enoshima, even with her strange behaviour.

Now Sayaka was stuck with the knowledge that she had saved the life of someone who might not even deserve it.

She lay slumped in a heap on the floor, time slipping away from her. However long she’d been in Mukuro’s room didn’t matter. She was in pain again, sore in her joints and aching from hunger.

Just as she began to think that she might fall asleep here, she heard a loud grunt. Sayaka raised her head, hardly able to keep her eyes open.

With a thud, an unconscious body flew out from the space under the bed, and landed in a heap nearby. Sayaka tried to scream, but her throat was so dry that it came out as only a hoarse squeak.

It had woken her up at the very least.

Her eyes fell on the limp body again, and her limbs tensed. He was bloody and bruised, but the red hair and fancy white jacket were still the same. Leon Kuwata looked as if he’d just been dragged through hell and back, and with Mukuro’s earlier mention of ‘execution’, it wouldn’t surprise her if he had been.

There was a heavy thump, and the sound of quick breathing. Behind Leon, Mukuro had climbed up from under the bed, and was now lying on the ground.

“Are you okay?” Sayaka asked weakly, her voice hardly above a whisper.

Mukuro groaned, “I will be. I was trained for things like this. ...Being skewered and surviving isn’t very common, however.”

_Trained?_

Sayaka wanted to ask, but she couldn’t bring herself to waste energy forming the words. Everything hurt so much, she could hardly bring herself to breath.

She was leaning against a wall, and it reminded her all too well of when she was leaning against Makoto’s bathroom wall, splattered in blood and a knife in her stomach. She hurt just like she hurt then, feeling heavy and weighted.

It would be so easy to just close her eyes here, and never have a care in the world again.

So easy… to die.

“Maizono-san!”

Sayaka blinked, her gaze falling on Mukuro, who had sat up. Concern was flashing in her grey eyes, “Don’t die on me here, okay?”

Sayaka made a small grunting noise in response.

Mukuro said, “I know, you feel like garbage right now. It’s the after-effects of this stupid drug. I’m not much better.”

“Hm?” Sayaka murmured, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Mukuro replied, “See, it repairs you enough to stop you from dying, but once it’s done that, it tends to mess with your hormones, and leave you in pain.”

_Why would someone make a drug like that?_

Mukuro saw the look on her face, and muttered, “It’s the kind of thing she would do. So predictable, but not at all at the same time.”

Sayaka leant back against the wall, while Mukuro got to her feet shakily. She watched as Mukuro made her way across the room, and into the bathroom.

Sayaka shut her eyes, and listened to the gentle sound of running water. It sounded almost like music to her tired ears.

It made her think of her idol friends. She felt guilty, not keeping the on her mind as she had been. After all, the potential loss of her friends was the reason she’d tried to leave in the first place.

Soft footsteps took Sayaka out of her thoughts. Mukuro had leant down next to her, was was currently pressing a cold cloth to her forehead.

“Keep that there,” Mukuro advised, “Then if you feel a bit better, use it to clean the blood on your hands.”

“Thank you,” Sayaka croaked.

She slowly moved her arm upwards, and felt the wet cloth on her fingers. When it was secure, Mukuro stopped holding it and got to her feet.

The cloth did help. Sayaka didn't feel well enough to stand, but at least she was able to move.

She opened her eyes, saw Leon’s body, then groaned. Mukuro was waning over him, trying to get a pulse.

Mukuro didn't look up, “Stay still. This is probably the first time you’ve gone nearly a day without eating, so try to preserve your energy.”

That raised a lot of questions in Sayaka's head, but none that she could bring herself to ask.

“What size are you? Don’t answer that,” Mukuro said after a moment. Sayaka watched her stand, and open the large closet.

Mukuro pulled out a comfortable looking pair of pants, and a baggy long sleeved shirt. She put them down next to Sayaka and said, “When you feel better, clean yourself up, and change into these. I’m going to take Kuwata-kun into the bathroom and see if I can stop the bruising.”

Sayaka nodded weakly. She moved the cloth down over her eyes to keep them from straining. Mukuro half carried half dragged Leon into the bathroom. When Sayaka heard the door shut, her limbs loosened, and her arm fell to her side.

The cloth slipped off her eyes, and landed in her hand. Sayaka sighed, and curled her fingers in.

After a few moments of silence, Sayaka brought the cloth to her skin, and began to scrub.

The blood came off easily, to Sayaka’s relief. She carefully cleaned it off her hands, trying not to shake as she did so.

Once the blood was off her skin, Sayaka reached out and grabbed the clothes that Mukuro had laid out for her. They looked as if they would fit her, if a bit baggy.

She kicked off her shoes, then reached down and peeled her socks off of her body. Sayaka shivered, now that her legs were fully exposed.

Removing her skirt proved to be more of a challenge. She was eventually able to pull it off, but not before ripping it in several places. Once it was off, Sayaka grabbed the sweatpants and pulled them on. They were warm, and the soft fabric helped her relax.

Then came her shirt. Sayaka struggled with the fabric, trying to pull it over her head. She managed to get her head and torso out, but both her arms were still stuck inside. With a bit of wiggling, she got her arms out, which left her cold and exposed.

The shirt that Mukuro had given to her was much easier to put on, which was a relief to Sayaka. She pushed the heap of bloody clothes she had been wearing off to the side, and leant back against the wall.

It seemed like both ten seconds and an age before Mukuro opened the door again. She was carrying Leon this time, who was still passed out.

“He’s got more broken bones than I thought,” Mukuro said, placing Leon on the end of the bed, “Hopefully they’ll heal while he sleeps.”

She slumped down on the bed, and said, “You want to come over here? It’ll be better for your back than the wall.”

Sayaka nodded, and pushed on the floor, trying to get up. When she wasn’t able to move, Mukuro got to her feet, and grabbed Sayaka’s arms, so she could stand.

Sayaka teetered towards the bed, trying not to move too quickly. While she was only crossing the room, she fell on the bed, exhaustion overtaking her. How she managed to carry Mukuro across the whole school, she didn’t know.

Mukuro sat down beside her, and said, “I promised that I’d tell you more when I got back.”

“Where did you go?” Sayaka asked.

“To the Bio Lab,” Mukuro replied, “I had to make sure I could still get there.”

Sayaka blinked, “What do you mean?”

Mukuro said, “There are secret passageways hidden around the school. I wanted to make sure that none of them collapsed, just in case we need them.”

Sayaka felt that that had not answered her questions, but she shrugged off the feeling. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask, and no time to waste.

“Who... are you?” Sayaka whispered.

A sigh, “Mukuro Ikusaba. Super High-School Level Soldier. I was part of the mercenary group Fenrir before I came to Hope’s Peak.”

She shivered. Mukuro being a soldier only brought on more questions, such as why she was masquerading as a fashion model.

At least it explained the battlefield metaphors.

“And…” Sayaka asked, “why are you disguised as Junko Enoshima?”

Mukuro bit the inside of her lip before responding, “Because she told me to.”

_I don't like where this is going._

“Junko Enoshima… She is the mastermind behind this game,” Mukuro whispered, “And she will do anything to ensure we suffer.”

Sayaka frowned, “But why would she do that? And why would she have you pretend to be her?”

Mukuro laughed dryly, “Because she is despair.”

Sayaka went quiet, unable to think of a response. The idea of a soldier pretending to be a model was strange enough, but said model being the reason was another story.

Mukuro noticed Sayaka’s sudden silence, and said, “The night time announcement is going to go any minute now. We should get some shut-eye.”

As if on cue, the screen on Mukuro’s wall lit up, “A-hem! It is now 10PM! As such, it is officially nighttime.”

Monokuma’s voice continued, but Sayaka had stopped listening. Her exhaustion was preying on her, and all she wanted to do was lie down.

Mukuro put a hand under the bed, and pulled out a tarp, “I’ll sleep on this. You and Kuwata-kun can share the bed.”

Sayaka shivered. She knew that Mukuro was trying to help out, but the idea of waking up next to her own murderer terrified her.

“You can have the bed,” Sayaka said quickly.

Mukuro replied, “You’re hurt far worse than I am.”

Sayaka glanced at Leon, then back at Mukuro, “I... “

Mukuro caught the notion, “Right. ...I wouldn’t want to make you stressed.”

She took the tarp and folded it once, so that it would be a slight bit more comfortable, then climbed onto the bed. Sayaka slid off it, and onto the floor.

While the ground was hard, it was better than the prospect of seeing Leon beside her in the morning.

Mukuro tossed a pillow at Sayaka. She fumbled with it in the air, but managed to catch it.

“Get some sleep,” Mukuro said.

“Good night… Ikusaba-san.” Sayaka whispered.

There was a long pause.

“Good night, Maizono-san.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long!

In movies, people always woke up to birds chirping, and sunlight streaming in through a gorgeous window. Sayaka woke up to someone screaming at the top of their lungs.

Blearily, she struggled to sit up, feeling even more sore than she had before she fell asleep. 

In the corner between the bed and the wall, Mukuro was standing menacingly over a screaming Leon. 

Sayaka peered over the bed, trying to make sense of the bizarre situation. Leon was pale and sweaty, and looked as if he would pass out from hyperventilation. 

“P-Please!” Leon cried, “Don't hurt me!”

Mukuro sighed, “I'm not going to hurt you. But I do need-”

Leon shook his head, “I won't do your evil bidding! I made a mistake, yes, but I don’t want to be haunted!”

Sayaka shakily got to her feet, ignoring the rumbling sound in her stomach, “What’s going on here?”

Mukuro turned, “Finally. He's been doing this for ten minutes. Do you think you can knock some sense into this idiot?”

“I can try,” Sayaka offered. 

Leon had somehow gotten even more pale during the exchange. He backed himself further into the corner, eyes wide with terror. 

As Sayaka took shaky steps towards him, Leon began to sweat, and his breathing heightened. 

“No! No, don't come any closer!” Leon hissed, “I'm so sorry for killing you, please don't hurt me!”

Sayaka said, “I'm not here to hurt you. Neither is I-Enoshima-san.”

She cut herself off quickly, suddenly realizing that Mukuro might not want anyone else knowing her secret.

Leon looked faint, “I know you're here to haunt me. I know that I messed up, so don't try to reassure me!”

Mukuro looked as if she would punch him, “You’re not dead. Neither am I, nor is Maizono-s-”

Sayaka could almost feel Mukuro’s stress as she bit back the honourific. 

Somehow, Leon managed to look even worse. He blubbered uselessly for an answer, before going slack and slumping against the wall. 

“Did he faint?” Sayaka asked. 

Mukuro nodded, “Unfortunately. I'll explain it to him later, when he stops assuming we're here to hurt him.”

_ That’s all my fault… _

Sayaka nodded, keeping her eyes lowered. 

A loud crackle surprised them both. Sayaka’s eyes flew to the screen on the wall. 

“A-hem! Good morning everyone! It is now 7am, and night time is officially over!”

Sayaka frowned, ignoring the rest of the spiel. She’d heard it far too often over the last few days. 

Mukuro’s eyes widened. She snatched a folded piece of paper from the desk, and leaped across the room. Before Sayaka could respond, she was already lying on her stomach, her face pressed up against the door.

Sayaka blinked, “What are you doing?”

“Shh,” Mukuro said, “We only have one chance to make this.”

She waited a couple seconds, then whipped her arm across the floor. The paper spun out from under her fingers, and slid under the door. 

“What-”

Mukuro grinned, “Jackpot. Maizono-san, we’ll get food soon.”

As if on cue, Sayaka’s stomach growled. Still confused, Sayaka asked, “What was all that about?”

Mukuro replied, “We’re going to starve if we don't eat soon. I've passed a message to Naegi-kun, to bring food to the bathhouse.”

_ We have a bathhouse? _

“The note went under his door, so he should bring it as soon as he can,” Mukuro continued, “Then we can eat.”

“How do you know that he'll listen?” Sayaka asked. 

Mukuro raised an eyebrow, “Please. Naegi-kun is the most trusting and naïve person I've ever met. He’ll listen.”

Sayaka hesitated a moment before saying, “I'll meet him there.”

Mukuro frowned, “No offence, but I'm amazed that you're standing right now. I'll go.”

Sayaka shook her head, “I have to go. I need to apologize to him.”

Mukuro looked as if she wanted to argue, but halfway through her thought process, decided it wasn't worth it. She said, “Let me clean some of that blood out of your hair, then.”

Mukuro stepped into her bathroom, and came out with a wet washcloth. She carefully dabbed at Sayaka's hair, cleaning off the dried blood. 

Sayaka smiled, “Thank you.”

Mukuro shrugged, “You’ll need to wash your hair properly soon anyways.”

Sayaka took a step towards the bed, before pausing and saying, “How do I get to the bathhouse?”

Mukuro clenched her fist at her side, “Just head under the bed, through the passageway, and walk until you see a vent. That's the bathhouse.”

Sayaka nodded, “Okay. I'll be back soon, I promise.”

Before Mukuro could respond, Sayaka got down on the floor, and rolled under the bed. There was a large wooden hatch that was partially open, and Sayaka slipped down into the darkness. 

It wasn't much of a drop between the hatch and the floor, but it still felt jarring. When Sayaka landed, she felt a little dizzy, but managed to keep herself steady. 

The first steps she took were a little rocky. The floor was made of cold concrete, as were the walls. She shuttered at the thought of it crashing down on her head. 

As Sayaka walked, she saw many hatches overhead, ones that could potentially lead into the other student’s rooms. It would be hilarious to give someone like Yasuhiro or Byakuya a fright, but she didn't have the energy for it. 

Eventually, the hatches stopped appearing, and Sayaka assumed she must be out of the dormitory area. From there, there was a sudden right turn, and Sayaka was only just able to avoid smacking right into the wall. 

She continued following the cement corridor, until she spotted a vent over her head. Sayaka pushed up on it, and it moved with ease. 

Sayaka gripped the tile above her head, and with all her strength, pulled herself through the hole, and onto what was presumably the bathhouse floor. 

There was indeed a large bath, and a door to what Sayaka believed to be a sauna. There was another door, which most likely lead to a change room. 

Sayaka replaced the grate, then walked over to the door. There was a darkened change room on the other side, complete with lockers. 

Sayaka clung to the shadows, afraid to touch the light. It was as if she’d disappear, as if this was all some inane hallucination. 

Just when she was starting to think that nobody was ever coming, she heard the light squeak of sneakers on tile. Her heart beat with anticipation, but also fear. 

“Huh. Nobody’s here.”

Sayaka gasped quietly. That was Makoto’s voice, frighteningly optimistic as usual. 

She peered out from her hiding place, and saw him. Same messy brown hair, and dark green hoodie. It was almost scary, how little he had changed. 

Before she could make herself change her mind, Sayaka stepped into the light. 

Makoto’s eyes looked as if they were going to bulge out of their sockets. He stood there, mouth hanging open, white as a sheet. 

“M-M-Maizono-san?” Makoto whispered, his voice hoarse. 

She smiled, “Hi, Naegi-kun.”

Makoto trembled for a moment, before rushing over and into Sayaka's arms. Sayaka gasped for air, but held him closely.

After a moment, he stepped backwards, a beam on his face, “I’m so glad that you’re okay!”

Sayaka tilted her head curiously. Makoto wasn’t panicking, shoving her away, or flat out denying the situation.

The smile on Makoto’s face dropped, “Is everything okay?”

Sayaka paused, before saying, “I expected a different reaction, is all. You aren’t angry, or confused…”

Makoto shrugged, “There's no point in being angry over a dream.”

_ A… dream? _

“I mean, I don't want to waste the one chance I get to see you again, by screaming at you.”

Sayaka clutched her wrist, and held it close to her heart. Of all the things Makoto Naegi could have said to her, this was the one thing that broke her. 

Simply, he didn't believe that she was real. 

How could she break it to him? Makoto was convinced that she was nothing but a vivid hallucination. Would he even believe her if she tried to explain?

Makoto said, “Maizono-san? You don't look too good.”

Sayaka whispered, “Do you really think that this is a dream, Naegi-kun?”

He shrugged, “What other explanation is there?”

Sayaka looked away, before finally saying, “This isn't a dream. I'm alive, Naegi-kun, and it's not just me.”

Makoto's eyes widened, “W-What are you talking about? I saw… I saw…”

Sayaka held her head up, “Let me explain.”

~

She gave a rushed explanation of what Mukuro had told her. Makoto hadn't interrupted her, or tried to talk at all. Rather, he seemed dumbstruck. 

“… so essentially, we’re still alive. We’re hiding out in Enoshima-san’s room, since she doesn't have cameras in it for whatever reason.”

Privately, Sayaka had a suspicion as to why Mukuro didn't have cameras. It had to go with her suspicion about why she knew so much about their situation, and who the mastermind was. Still, now was not the time for her to go into that. 

Makoto said, “That's still incredible. Is that why I got that note asking for food, then?”

Sayaka nodded, “We’re all pretty hungry right now.”

Makoto handed Sayaka a plastic bag. In it, were three wrapped sandwiches, and three large apples. Her stomach grumbled, but she held out. 

“Thank you so much,” Sayaka said, “This means a lot to us.”

Makoto smiled, “Of course. I just have one question for you. When you wrote Kuwata-kun’s name on the wall…”

Sayaka felt her voice go dry, “Yeah?”

“Why'd you do it?”

She swallowed. Sayaka hadn’t expected to ever have to tell anyone her reason for doing that.

After a moment, she whispered, “I didn’t want them to think it was you. After all I’d done… I had to do something. It meant condemning Kuwata-kun, but I couldn’t…”

Sayaka trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Makoto put a hand on her shoulder, “Thank you.”

~

They sat in silence after that, until Sayaka stood up, taking the bag of food with her. She waved goodbye to Makoto, before disappearing into the other room, and down through the grate again.

Once she was in the concrete passageway, Sayaka moved the grate back over the hole. It was almost as if she’d never been there.

She made her way back towards Mukuro’s room, finding it easier to navigate in the darkness. She spotted the half open hatch above her head, and Sayaka grinned.

She threw the bag up first, then hoisted herself up through the hole, so she was back under Mukuro’s bed.

Sayaka rolled out from under it, the bag safe in her arms.

“You made it back.”

Mukuro’s voice came from above, and Sayaka glanced up to see Mukuro leaning over the side of the bed to look at her.

Sayaka sat up, and handed the bag up to Mukuro. The soldier’s eyes lit up, and she snatched one of the sandwiches immediately.

Sayaka took one for herself, and carefully unwrapped it, before sinking her teeth in. The two girls ate in silence, devouring the food. 

She hadn’t been this hungry in her entire life, Sayaka realized. It had certainly never felt this good to have something in her stomach, that was for sure.

When they had finished the sandwiches, Mukuro said, “How’d he take it?”

“Huh?”

“Naegi-kun. I mean, it probably shocked him a bit, right?”

Sayaka nodded, “He thought he was dreaming. But when I explained, he was oddly okay with it.”

“Wow,” Mukuro said, “I figured he’d have a harder time with it.”

They sat together, munching on the apples, until Sayaka spoke again, “Is Kuwata-kun still passed out?”

“Nah, he woke up right after you left,” Mukuro said, “I managed to explain things to him, then he fell asleep.”

She pointed to the tarp on the floor, and Sayaka realized that Leon was sleeping on it. He looked so peaceful, and if Sayaka hadn't been there to see him scream bloody murder, she would never have believed it. 

Mukuro added, “I guess we’re saving the rest of the food for him.”

They ate in silence, when Sayaka suddenly said, “Do you think he’s angry at me?”

“Why would he be?” Mukuro replied, “I mean logically, you should be angry at him.”

Sayaka looked away, “No, it’s my fault. I… That night we got the motive, I tried to kill him.”

Mukuro blinked, “I’m sorry?”

Sayaka continued, “It backfired, and he managed to kill me instead. But it’s still all my fault.”

Mukuro said, “Your plan was to kill someone and escape, right?”

“Yeah.”

Mukuro said, “So you picked the most logical person to try and kill. A professional athlete.”

Sayaka sighed, “I wasn’t thinking.”

“Obviously,” Mukuro said, “Sorry. I’m being insensitive.”

“It’s okay,” Sayaka responded. She then suddenly voiced her next question, without much forethought, “Ikusaba-san? Why are there no cameras in your room?”

Mukuro bit down on her lip, then said, “It’s a bit of a long explanation. I’m willing to tell you… but it will take time.”

“I understand,” Sayaka said, a bitter taste forming in the back of her mouth. She could only begin to wonder about Mukuro’s evasiveness, and how much of it she'd be able to live with. 

Mukuro said gently, “By the way, do you want to go wash your hair? It's very greasy, and it's got blood in it still.”

Sayaka glanced towards the bathroom, something stirring in her stomach. It wasn't the same bathroom, but it felt the same. Her hand shook, as her breath hitched. 

Mukuro frowned, “Right. Do you want help, then?”

Sayaka blinked, “W-What?”

“I mean, if you just lean over the bathtub, I can wash your hair,” Mukuro clarified, “Since… well I can tell that you don't want to be alone in there.”

_ Oh.  _

Sayaka nodded, “Okay. T-Thank you.”

Mukuro shrugged, “No problem.”

Slowly, she got to her feet, trying to stop her head from spinning. Despite the food, she was still shaky, and she knew it would be a while before her wound fully healed. 

Sayaka stepped into the bathroom, and flicked on a light, trying to squash the feeling of dread in her stomach. Mukuro stepped in behind her, and Sayaka's heartbeat quickened.

The soldier went around Sayaka, and grabbed a towel, and folded it a couple times. She laid it on the floor by the tub, and said, “Just kneel down there, and lean over, okay?”

Sayaka nodded, and knelt down, gripping the side of the tub. She flipped her hair over her head, so it hung inside the white porcelain. 

“Ah…” Mukuro said, “You might want to take off your shirt. It'll get soaked otherwise.”

Sayaka felt her skin prick at the suggestion. Something in her was willing to do whatever Mukuro asked of her, but most of her was flat out refusing the request. 

Mukuro said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable-”

Sayaka cut her off quickly, “No, it’s okay. You just… surprised me, is all.”

Against her better judgement, Sayaka slowly took off her shirt. Mukuro noticeably averted her eyes, which she was grateful for. Sayaka felt exposed, and quickly leant back over the tub before she could feel worse.

Mukuro turned on the water, and Sayaka felt it wet the tips of her hair. As Mukuro washed her hair, Sayaka began to feel more relaxed. The sound of the water was nice, and it felt good to be clean. The only thing troubling her was the bandages wrapped tightly around her middle.

It was done almost too quickly. As soon as Mukuro was done, she turned off the water, and draped a towel over Sayaka’s hair.

Sayaka sat up, and dried her hair, patting it with the towel. When it had stopped dripping, Mukuro stepped in behind her, and rubbed it dry herself.

As she worked, she said, “You wanted to know why I have no cameras in my room, correct?”

Sayaka swallowed, “I do.”

“The mastermind decided I could be trusted with less supervision than the rest of you,” Mukuro said, “But Monokuma often burst into my room, just in case.”

Sayaka swallowed, then asked her most burning question, “Why? Why do you know so much? You know more than you ever should, and you’re disguised as a famous model. Why do you know everything?”

Mukuro went silent for a long time. She seemed to be mulling things over to herself, before finally speaking, “I do know more than I should. And truthfully… I’ve been reckless trusting you with all my secrets.”

Sayaka said, “So I take it that you won’t tell me?”

“I will. But only because some tiny part of my brain wants me to trust you,” Mukuro replied.

_ What? _

Mukuro said quietly, “I know so much… I know so much because I helped trap you here.”

Sayaka whipped around, eyes flashing, “You did  _ what?!” _

Mukuro nodded, “It is one of my deepest regrets. But I aided the mastermind in trapping you here, which is why I know so much, why I’m disguised as her. I had no other choice.”

“There’s always a choice,” Sayaka responded.

Mukuro shook her head, “You don’t understand. Junko Enoshima… is my twin sister. If I disobeyed her, there’s no telling what she might do.”

Sayaka gasped, “Your sister?”

“Mmhm. I did everything she asked, no matter what,” Mukuro said, “Look where that got me.”

Sayaka frowned, “I still don’t really understand. Why would you trap us here? Even if it was by your sister’s orders… Why would  _ she _ want us to kill each other?”

Mukuro shut her eyes, “I told you once before, but i’ll say it again. Junko Enoshima is despair. She needs no other reason.”

~

After that, they both went quiet.

Once Sayaka’s hair was dry, she pulled her shirt on, and Mukuro left the bathroom. Sayaka shivered in the darkness, but quickly stepped outside into the light. Leon was sitting upright on the bed, munching on the apple, and Mukuro was sitting on a chair in the corner, ignoring him.

Sayaka kept her eyes on the ground, afraid of meeting Leon’s gaze. She knew he must hate her for what she did, and she couldn’t bear to hurt him again.

She sat down on the sheet on the floor, ready to go to sleep, when Leon broke the silence.

“Ah, Maizono?”

Sayaka swallowed, and looked over at him, “Y-Yeah?”

Leon gulped, “I’m sorry. It’s my fault what happened to you, and I-"

“I should be apologizing to you. I tried to kill you,” Sayaka whispered.

Leon said, “How about this. It’s both our faults, and we’re both idiots. We cool?”

Sayaka nodded, “Okay.”

She lay down on the sheet, ready to sleep, only to see Mukuro looking away, a sad look of resignation forming on her face. Sayaka wanted to ask her what was wrong, but at the same time, it didn’t feel appropriate.

_ I hope she's okay. _


End file.
